Female IS members share their stories of lashing and nursing

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Two women recruited by the Islamic State (IS) spoke to Kurdistan24 about their positions while working for the extremist group in Mosul where they punished women who violated IS laws.

Arrested by the Kurdistan Region security forces, the women known as queens of beatings said they were responsible for imposing IS laws on women and girls who lived in cities controlled by the group.

When IS invaded extensive areas in Iraq in mid-2014, they hired female fighters to control the citizens under its rule, including women.

Yass Khidir, an IS female fighter confessed to Kurdistan24 that she worked hard to implement IS rules of modesty over Mosul women and girls.

Khidir gained her nickname 'the queen of beating' at an IS office in Mosul’s Bab al-Tob neighborhood. "My job was to lash women and girls who failed to cover their faces and hands as well as those who refuse to wear a burka," she said, referring to a veil that covers women’s entire body including her face.

"I had to punish those who broke the rules. 50-100 lashes," she added.

For her services, Khidir received 50,000 IQD (nearly 40 USD) a week, she said, adding that she completed several military and religious courses taught by the IS extremists in Mosul.

When the Iraqi security forces controlled the eastern side of Mosul, Khidir could not manage to escape to western side, but was able to flee to the Kurdistan Region, infiltrating among the Internally Displaced Persons (IS).

She resided in one of the Kurdistan Region camps, but Kurdish forces arrested her two weeks into her arrival.

Atiya, another IS female worker said that IS paid her 372,000 IQD (nearly 295 USD) to work three days a week, to treat the wounded IS extremists and execute IS rules over women and girls.

Atiya said that following the death of her child, she was forced to flee the extremist group and surrender to the Peshmerga forces in western Kirkuk.